21 September 2021 – This is the biggest women football rivalry on African continent – Banyana Banyana versus the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
The two square up in the Aisha Buhari Cup this afternoon, Tuesday, 21 September 2021 in the bustling Nigerian capital of Lagos. The match kicks off at 16h00.
Both teams come into this encounter having each won their opening games, with the hosts beating Mali 2-0 in the opening match of the competition while South Africa put the Black Queens of Ghana to sword a couple of days later, winning 3-0.
The Banyana Banyana/Falcons match is such an appetising encounter, not only for the players but for the respective players and technical staff.
The last time the two teams met in a competitive match was at the Africa Women’s Cup Of Nations Final in Ghana on 1 December 2018 where the Super Falcons edged Desiree Ellis’ charges 4-3 on penalties to clinch the continental title.
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has previously stated that the Buhari Cup is an important tournament to fine tune her squad in preparation for the upcoming AWCON qualifiers scheduled to commence in October.
The coach also spoke highly of her players’ versatility and believes they are ready to step up against Nigeria.
“We have got more footage of Nigeria playing in other matches and we have to look at that, obviously to analyse because it is a different opposition and we must make sure we have our plans right,” said Ellis.
“We don’t have a lot of days but I think our game against Ghana helped the team to settle. We have looked at a few things and on how we can do things differently. Our players are all ready to step up and it does not matter who gets selected,” added Ellis.
“We have shown over the last couple of years that we trust the players, that’s the most important thing, trusting their ability,’’ concluded Ellis.
The game will take place at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan in Lagos, Nigeria (Kickoff 17h00pm RSA time).